What a Successful School Fundraiser Looks Like (And How One School Raised $62,000)

When schools think about running a successful fundraiser, the goal is simple: raise more money with less stress for families and staff.

At Poe Classical Elementary on Chicago’s South Side, that goal became a reality.

By using a simple virtual fundraising approach, the school raised over $62,000 to support enrichment learning opportunities for their students.

Fundraiser Snapshot

• $62,000+ raised

• Fully online fundraiser

• No product handling or cash collection

• Shared via text and social media to expand reach

• Achieved ongoing year-over-year growth in amount raise

Read on to learn how they did it, and what other schools can learn from their success.

What makes a school fundraiser successful?

A successful school fundraiser raises meaningful funds with less work and an easy process. The most effective fundraisers tend to perform well in these four areas:

• Profitability: How much money the school actually keeps after any costs

• Ease of execution: How simple it is for staff and families to run

• Participation: How many students and families can easily get involved

• Reach: The ability to go beyond the local community to maximize support

Poe Elementary’s approach worked because it did well across all four. By removing common barriers like handling products, collecting cash, and coordinating in-person events. All while making it easier for more students and families to participate while increasing total funds raised.

Why Poe Elementary moved beyond traditional fundraisers  

Before switching to a Double Good fundraiser, Poe Elementary tried a wide range of traditional school fundraisers like walkathons and formal balls. 

While these events brought the community together, they often required significant time and energy for a relatively limited return.

How Poe Elementary ran a successful school fundraiser 

Compared to traditional fundraising methods, Poe Elementary’s fully online fundraiser delivered stronger results with less effort.

Here’s what made it both simple and effective: 

Easy for students and families to get set up

Each student created a personal Pop-Up Store online in just a few minutes. There were no order forms to manage and no cash to collect, making it easier for more families to participate.

A wider network of supporters

Instead of selling only to people nearby, students could share their store links through text and social media. That expanded their reach to friends and family across the country, increasing the number of supporters.

Direct fulfillment for all orders

All orders were shipped directly to supporters, so staff and volunteers weren't needed to sort or deliver products. This eliminated one of the most time-consuming parts of traditional fundraising.

Real-time competition and tracking

A live leaderboard showed how much each student had raised and how they ranked across the school, adding a layer of excitement that fueled friendly competition and progress throughout the fundraiser.

“Everyone watches the leaderboard. I’m on it all the time posting and encouraging, poking and challenging.” says Prinicipal Dockery. 

Incentives that motivated participation

To keep energy high, the school paired the fundraiser with student incentives and prizes.